Sliding-door structure.



E. C. PITCHER.

SLIDING DOOR STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. l3. 1914.

Patented Apr. 3

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WITNESSES:

ELMER'C. BITCHER, Q15 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

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T ,221, 766. Specification o Patented Apr. a, ram.

otters lPatent.

Application filed August 13, 1914. Serial No. 8%,701.

' T all whom it may aonceam:

Be it known that I, ELMER C. PrroHnR, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of SanFrancisco, State of California, whose post-office address. is Fifth and Bryant streets, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sliding- Door Structures, of'which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to sliding doors, adapted to disappear within relatively narrow walls.

Among the objects of this invention are:

To provide a hollow structure within the wall, into which the door can be rolled;

To provide a wall structure adapted to sustain the weight that would have been sustained 'by the studding, that must be cut away to provide the necessary space, within the wall to receive the door;

To replace such studding at the minimum expense, by a structure adapted to receive the conventional lath and plaster wall surface.

- Other objects and advantages will appear as the description progresses. In the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification,*to which like reference characters have been applied, a simple form of putting this invention into practice is shown. I do not wish to be understood as confining this invention, to the disclosures made in said drawing and description, as many variations may be introduced, within the spirit of this invention, as defined in the claims succeeding the said description.

This invention makes it possible to mount a disappearing door within the average wall, that is approximately 5% inches in thickness.

This invention is preferably constructed substantially as shown, the entire framing being conveniently and cheaply constructed and assembled at the mill, ready for installation within the wall. The necessarily thin side structure of the casing, incorporates the required sustaining power, by a novel construction and arrangement of the arts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a disappearing door structure, constructed in accordance with this invention, being broken away above the door opening, to disclose the underlying door hanger and supporting rail therefor.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail in cross section on the line IL-II Fig. 1 illustrating the construction and arrange- 'ment within the overhead hanger channel,

and the guide for the lower edge of the door. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail in cross section taken on the line l[I-II Fig. 1 of the hanger channel, showing the hanger in operative position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the hanger being removed from the hanger channel.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings includes the outer studding 1 and 2, forming the sides of the door casing. These are joined at the top by the part ing plate 3, that extends across the top of the studding 1 and 2, to which it is fixed.

The lower ends of the stud 1 and 2 are adapted to be nailed or attached to the floor of the building, in the usual manner. The side jambs 4 and 5 are nailed to the parting plate 3 at the top, and adapted to be nailed to the floor at the bottom, to frame the door opening X, closed by the disappearing door 9. The plates 6 and 7 are interposed between the bottom of the side jambs 4 and 5, and the stud 2 on each side of the door space, and are intended to be nailed to the floor; these plates act as spacing members and add rigidity to the structure.

The bridging 10 is nailed obliquely between the stud 2 and the side jambs 4 and 5, being nailed to the edge or side of the stud, 2 and to the rear face of the jambs 4 and 5. The stud 2 determines the width of the door pocket. The side jambs 4 and 5 being nailed to the opposite sides of the parting plate, the distance between the studs 4 and 5 is equal to the width of the stud 2; so that the bridging nailed to the outer edges of the studding 2 comes flush with the inner plane of the jambs 4 and 5, to which it is securely nailed, this assemblage forms a door pocket of substantially uniform cross section throughout-its height and width; said cross section plus the thickness of the bridging, being equal to the depth of the conventional studding, forming the balance of the walls. The lateral edges of the studs 4 and 5 are rabbeted at 11 flush with the outer surface of the bridging 10.

The bridging 10 is separated by the struts 12, having the tongues 13 formed on their ends, engaging the. rooves 14 formed in the opposite sides ofthe' bridging 10. These struts are interposed at intervals between the bridging inbreak-joint relation; that is, the struts of one series of bridges; are interposed in the intervals betweenthe struts of v the preceding and succeeding bridges.

The installation of the door structure forming the subject of this invention, ne-

cessitates the cutting away or omission of the studding above the door, and between the The furring strips 15 are nailed to the studding 2, between the ends of the bridges 10 with which they are flush, to receive the nails securing the laths 16, nailed across the bridging from the rabbet 11 to the adjacent studding in the wall. The lathing is applied in the usual manner and contributes materially to the strength of the bridging structure, giving it a truss efiect for resisting lateral pressure applied to the surface of the wall. The outer-surfaces of the trusses and the struts are provided with the depressed channels 17, that permit the plaster exuding between the laths, to properly key itself thereto. The upper ends of the side jambs 4 and 5 are chamfered down at 1818, to match the width of the. superimposed studding X, resting upon the parting plate 3, to receive the lathing continuing upward from the door structure.

The door 9 is supported by the hangers 19-19 provided with the rollers 20, rolling hanger channel.

upon the track 21 attached to the supporting rail 22, fixed to the stringer 23 extended across the door structure, having its ends fixed to the studs 1 and 2 and to the side jambs 4 or 5 at intersecting points. The hanger channel extends throughout the width of the structure and is inclosed at the top by the parting plate 3', and on the sides by the bridge and strut wall. The blocks 24 are nailed between the bridges to prevent plaster and obstructions entering the Between the stud 1 and the side jambs 4 and5, the headers 25 and 26 are secured. These complete-the framing around the door opening, to which are secured the top jamb '27 and 28 between which the hangers 19 pass. The door opening is trimmed with the usual stops 29 and 30, and the facing 31 and'32'. The facing 1s intended to cover the joint between the plastering and the frame of the door opening. The door rolls freely on its hangers, into and out of its pocket within the wall; being guided between the stops by the guide 33, fixed on the floor and engaging a groove in the bottom edge of the door.

To facilitate hanging or dismounting the door, the header 26 is cut away laterally at 34,'above the hand hole 35 formed in the top jamb 28 and closed by the removable secti0n'36, exposed by the removal of the contiguous stop molding. The hand opening thus exposed permits access to the hanger 19, for disconnecting it from the door. These hand holes may be duplicated on opposite sides of the door opening, spaced apart a distance equal to theO distance between the hangers, whereby oth hangers may be reached at the same time if desired. One opening) however is sufficient, as the hangers can e reached successively, as they are rolled past the opening The hanger disconnected from the door, can. be lowered vertically after its disengagement from the track 21, through the space created by the cut away gap 34, and the gap 34 in the rail,

coinciding therewith, permitting its passage between the header and the track 21, see Figs. 3 and 4. The desired object is the removal of the hanger downward from the hanger channel between the top jambs 27 and 28.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sliding door structure including a frame having side studs joined by a top plate; a side jamb attached to said top plate intermediate of said studs; oblique bridges attached to said side jamb and one of said studs, and struts interposed between said bridges.

2. Asliding door structure including a frame having side studs joined by a top plate; side jambs on opposite sides of said plate between said studs oblique bridges attached to said jambs and one of said. studs; and bridges attached to said top plate and the said stud and struts interposed between said bridges.

'In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of July 1914.

ELMER c. PITGHER. Witnesses: I

BALDWIN VALE, W. W. HEALEY. 

